MeanGreen61

Source says Jones will sign $10 million deal to coach SMU By Joe Schad ESPN.com Updated: January 6, 2008, 2:00 PM ET SMU is close to finalizing the details of a contract for former Hawaii coach June Jones and he is expected to be introduced at a press conference as soon as Monday, a source close to the situation said Sunday. Jones' contract is expected to be for five years and close to $2 million per year. The deal is expected to be booster funded. SMU athletic director Steve Orsini has reportedly sold up to 20 boosters on the concept of donating up to $100,000 per year for five years. Jones will bring an exciting offense and instantly make nearly twice as much as any other coach in Conference USA. Jones reportedly resigned as Hawaii's football coach. Kent Untermann, a former Hawaii player and member of Na Koa, the school's booster club, told KHNL that Jones was leaving because of frustration with how the athletic department was run, not because he felt his salary was too low. The Honolulu Advertiser, citing Jones' friend Al Souza, reported Jones resigned Saturday morning. The school and Jones have not made an official announcement. Jones earned $800,016 a year under a five-year contract with Hawaii that expires June 30. Reports of the resignation came even though Hawaii offered Jones a new contract that would make him the highest paid coach in the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii would not say how much it offered Jones. But figures provided by the university show Fresno State's Pat Hill, who earns an annual salary of $1,229,996, is currently the highest-paid WAC coach. Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier said he asked Jones to call him before deciding on SMU's offer. Hawaii finished this season 12-0 before losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl -- the school's first bowl appearance on the mainland since 1992. ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3183915

Assistant coaches are usually on a year-to-year contract.

Off the Muts board. Bower, Scelfo on list at USA Jags start search for first football coach Saturday, January 05, 2008 By KIM SHUGARTSports Reporter Former Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower and former Tulane coach Chris Scelfo have been interviewed by University of South Alabama athletics director Joe Gottfried for the Jaguars' football job. Gottfried confirmed Friday that Bower and Scelfo were in Mobile earlier this week to discuss the USA job. "We have been talking to a lot of people and they were the first two we have met with here," Gottfried said. "These were very informal meetings to see what their interests were and their thoughts about the program. "There was a lot of good dialogue and communication, but it's just the initial stage of the search." Gottfried also said he is trying to set up a meeting with Mississippi State offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey. "I have spoken to coach McCorvey on the phone and would like to meet with him," Gottfried said of the former Alabama assistant coach. "We plan on talking with several coaches about the position because we're interested in what they're thinking." Gottfried added he also has spoken with former Miami Hurricanes national championship coach Larry Coker. Those discussions took place during Coker's visit to Mobile for a 1st-and-10 Club meeting. Bower spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Southern Miss before he was forced to resign on Nov. 26. He finished his USM career with a 119-83-1 record, making him the second-winningest coach in school history. He won four Conference USA championships and ended his tenure with 14 consecutive winning seasons. Scelfo was 37-57 in eight years at Tulane, leading the Green Wave to the 2002 Hawaii Bowl. Before taking over the Tulane post, he was an assistant coach at Georgia for three years and at Marshall for six years. Gottfried said he has been surprised by the number of coaches who have expressed interest in USA's decision to start a football program. "I've been impressed with the caliber of people who have called about the position, especially because it's a program that's just beginning," Gottfried said. "The position that many of the coaches have held and the experience they've had in college coaching is really impressive. "The coaching search is progressing and it could move a little faster if we wanted it to, but we're in no rush here. Our target date to fill the position is still the first or second week in February." The Jaguars will not field a team until the 2009 season. The plan calls for the hiring of a head coach and four or five assistants this year, then beginning the recruiting process. The first players will be signed in February 2009.

Off the muts board. TROY FOOTBALL: Trojans make Brown youngest coordinator By A. Stacy Long Neal Brown's age is a regular part of the opening spiel in his stump speech. The Troy Trojans added a line to it Friday, naming Brown their offensive coordinator and making the 27-year-old the youngest coordinator in NCAA Division I-A football. Brown has assured audiences since he came to Troy two years ago that he was older than Troy's oldest player, just-departed senior receiver Gary Banks. Now, he'll be running the offense, too. "I look young for my age as it is, so I always use that as a good starting point," Brown said. "I've been the youngest guy almost everywhere I've been. "But look at the Boston Red Sox. If they can hire 27-year-old Theo Epstein to run their organization, I don't think it will be that big a deal for a 27-year-old to call ball plays at Troy." Brown's promotion signals the Trojans aren't planning major changes to their spread offense, the Sun Belt's most prolific the last two seasons under Tony Franklin. Franklin left Troy last month for Auburn. Brown was recruited by Franklin to Kentucky, where Brown played from 1998-2000. Brown, who finished his playing career at the University of Massachusetts and is a Red Sox fan, has been the inside receivers coach under Franklin at Troy the last two years. "We're not going to try to reinvent the wheel," Brown said. "The system works, the players believe in it and the staff believes in it. It's been a good offense and it's going to continue to be good." Troy finished 8-4 this season and fell one win shy of making a second straight New Orleans Bowl appearance. Florida Atlantic beat Troy in the regular-season finale to go to the bowl. Brown and the Trojans will have to replace quarterback Omar Haugabook, the two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, their top running back and their top receiver, Banks, 20 months Brown's junior. "We have the talent at all those spots," Brown said. "We have guys who are going to be playmakers for us. Hopefully, we can continue what we did this year, but win one more game." Brown, born March 11, 1980, is the youngest coordinator in Division I-A by 61/2 weeks over Marcus Arroyo, the co-offensive coordinator at San Jose State. Troy defensive coordinator Jeremy Rowell, 34, ranks 10th on the list. The Trojans also announced Friday the hiring of North Alabama offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield as their inside receivers coach and the promotion of Shayne Wasden to assistant head coach. Wasden will remain the outside receivers coach and special teams coordinator. "I am excited about the coaching staff we have assembled," Blakeney said in a release. "We have a strong group of talented young coaches who combined the integrity, intensity and desire needed to lead our program forward into the coming seasons." Brown said he was "thankful for the opportunity," but it won't be the most exciting thing to happen to him this offseason. Wife Brooke is expecting the couple's first child, a daughter, on Feb. 20. On Friday, the two mixed in a doctor's visit amongst his congratulatory phone calls. "A lot of people ask, 'Are you nervous about the job?'" Brown said. "I tell them I'm nervous about a lot of things. Right now, the job is the least of them."

Horn board thread http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/...part=1&vc=1

Off the Belt board. http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/alumni-tracker#A

Story about MacDuff leaving UT dated 1/2/08. TD announces that Mendoza is put out to pasture on 1/4/08. Info also surfaces that MacDuff could be the new DC at NT on 1/4/08. Playing the old conspiracy theory theme....... Could this actually be a MacDuff pickup before the Mendoza departure is announced ? Does TD's past ties with UT come into play ? If true,This seems to have gone kinda boom-boom, quick-quick.

Don't hahaha too much. Our committments are just verbal until they sign on the dotted line in February.

Hoops look: North Texas at Troy January 02, 2008 dchamplin What: North Texas (9-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) at Troy (6-6, 0-2) When: 7:30 p.m. CST Jan. 3 Where: Trojan Arena, Troy (4,000) Last time out: Troy fell to Western Kentucky 94-90. North Texas beat Texas A&M-International 97-70. Probable starting lineups TROY G-Jerome Odem (6’1, 160, Sr.) - 6.9 G-O’Darien Bassett (6’2, 190, Sr.) - 18.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg F-Justin Jonus (6’6, 221, Sr.) - 13.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg F-Trayce Macon (6’8, 191, Soph.) - 8.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg F-Jarvis Acker (6’6, 210, Sr.) - 6.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg NORTH TEXAS G-Josh White (5’10, 167, Fr.) 16.6 ppg, 56.4 3pt percentage G-Ben Bell (6’3, 190, Sr.) 8.6 ppg G-Collin Dennis(6’2, 185, Jr.) 12.9 ppg, 48.5 3pt percentage F-Keith Wooden(6’9, 245, Sr.) 11.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg F-Quincy Williams (6’8, 230, Sr.) 8.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg What to watch for: Troy has beaten all but two Sun Belt teams in Sun Belt play, but one was UL-Monroe in a game where the Warhawks had a fluke late comeback. The other is North Texas, and it hasn’t been close. The Mean Green have been incredibly mean to the Men of Troy. Some great players are gone from the last two years, but the biggest advantage UNT has is down low with forwards Keith Wooden and Quincy Williams. It’s just not even close when you compare the frontcourts between the two and don’t be shocked to see UNT have a 25-rebound advantage. UNT did lose a surprise game at Denver by four, but the change in altitude causes a few teams with more talent than Denver to lose at Denver. Troy is 0-2 in Sun Belt play just like last year. North Texas was the Sun Belt’s NCAA Tournament representative last year. Player to watch, Troy: O’Darien Bassett. The 6-foot-2 senior scored a career-high 36 in a 4-point loss to Western Kentucky last Saturday. He’s playing at a very high level right now and is worth the price of admission. He’ll need to keep playing like that for Troy to have a chance. Player to watch, UNT: Josh White. The 5-foot-10 scoring guard is the frontrunner for Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Troy will win if: The Trojans get very hot from the outside and/or UNT’s forwards get in some foul trouble. UNT will win if: The Mean Green dominate the boards and attack the press like Western Kentucky did. Drew’s prediction: It’s like picking against Arkansas State in football. It needs to happen before I do it. UNT 86-78 Posted in by Drew Champlin on 01/02 at 11:03 PM

Hawaii got hammered by Georgia but Troy gave 'um (Georgia) all they could handle before losing by 10 (44-34).

Off the WAC board. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS Through December, 2007 Source- www.ncaa.org/champadmin/champs_listing1.html WAC (Total-20) BOISE STATE – 1 (1-AA Football-1) FRESNO STATE – 1 (Softball-1) HAWAII – 3 (Women’s Volleyball-3) IDAHO – 3 (Boxing-3) LA TECH – 2 (Women’s Basketball-2) SAN JOSE STATE – 10 (men's boxing-3; men's cross country-2; men's golf-1; women's golf-3; men's outdoor track & field-1) None listed for Nevada, New Mexico State, and Utah State. PAC-10 (Total-367) ARIZONA – 17 (men's baseball-3, men's basketball-1, men's golf-1, women's golf-3, women's softball-8, women's indoor track & field-1) ARIZONA ST. – 17 (men's baseball-5, men's golf-2, women's golf-6, men's gymnastics-1, men's outdoor track & field-1, women's outdoor track & field-1, men's wrestling-1) CAL – 23 (men's baseball-2, men's basketball-1, men's golf-1, men's gymnastics-4, women's rowing-2, women's softball-1, men's swimming/diving-2, men's outdoor track & field-1, men's water polo-12) STANFORD – 94 (men's baseball-2, men's basketball-1, women's basketball-2, men's cross country-4, women's cross country-4, men's golf-8, men's gymnastics-3, men's swimming & diving-8, women's swimming & diving-8, men's tennis-17, women's tennis-15, men's outdoor track & field-4, men's volleyball-1, women's volleyball-6, men's water polo-10, women's water polo-1) OREGON – 13 (men's basketball-1, men's cross country-4, women's cross country-2, men's outdoor track & field-5, women's outdoor track & field-1) OREGON STATE – 3 (men's baseball-2, men's cross country-1) USC – 84 (men's baseball-12, women's basketball-2, women's golf-1, men's gymnastics-1, men's swimming & diving-9, women's swimming & diving-1, men's tennis-16, women's tennis-2, men's indoor track & field-2, men's outdoor track & field-26, women's outdoor track & field-1, men's volleyball-4, women's volleyball-3, men's water polo-3, women's water polo-1) UCLA – 100 (men's basketball-11, men's golf-1, women's golf-2, men's gymnastics-2, women's gymnastics-5, men's soccer-4, women's softball-10, men's swimming & diving-1, men's tennis-16, women's indoor track & field-2, men's outdoor track & field-8, women's outdoor track & field-3, men's volleyball-19, women's volleyball-3, men's water polo-8, women's water polo-5) WASHINGTON – 4 (women's rowing-3, women's volleyball-1) WASHINGTON STATE – 2 (men's boxing-1, men's indoor track & field-1) MWC (Total-36) BYU – 9 (women's cross country-4, men's golf-1, men's outdoor track & field-1, men's volleyball-3) NM – 1 (coed skiing-1) SDSU – 1 (men's volleyball-1) TCU – 1 (women's golf-1) UNLV – 2 (men's basketball-1, men's golf-1) UTAH – 20 (men's basketball-1, women's gymnastics-9, coed skiing-10) WYO – 2 (men's basketball-1, coed skiing-2) None listed for Air Force and Colorado State. BIG-12 (Total-178) BAY – 2 (women's basketball-1, men's tennis-1) CU – 21 (men's cross country-3, women's cross country-2, coed skiing-16) ISU – 14 (men's cross country-2, men's gymnastics-3, men's wrestling-9) KAN – 9 (men's basketball-2, men's cross country-1, men's indoor track & field-3, men's outdoor track & field-3) MISS – 2 (men's baseball-1, men's indoor track & field-1) NEB – 15 (men's gymnastics-8, women's indoor track & field-2, women's volleyball-3, women's bowling-2) OU – 18 (men's baseball-2, men's golf-1, men's gymnastics-7, women's softball-1, men's wrestling-7) OSU – 48 (men's baseball-1, men's basketball-2, men's cross country-1, men's golf-10, men's wrestling-34 TEX – 39 (men's baseball-6, women's basketball-1, women's cross country-1, men's golf-2, men's swimming & diving-9, women's swimming & diving-7, women's tennis-2, women's indoor track & field-6, women's outdoor track & field-4, women's volleyball-1) TEX A&M – 2 (women's softball-2) TECH – 1 (women's basketball-1) None listed for Kansas State. ACC (Total-75) BC – 2 (men's ice hockey-2) CLEM – 3 (men's golf-1, men's soccer-2) DUKE – 9 (men's basketball-3, women's golf-5, men's soccer-1) FSU – 6 (men's gymnastics-2, women's indoor track & field-1, men's outdoor track & field-2, women's outdoor track & field-1) GT – 1 (women's tennis-1) MIAMI – 5 (men's baseball-4, women's golf-1) UNC – 32 (men's basketball-4, women's basketball-1, women's field hockey-4, men's lacrosse-4, men's soccer-1, women's soccer-18) NCSU – 2 (men's basketball-2) VIRG – 15 (men's boxing-1, women's cross country-2, men's lacrosse-4, women's lacrosse-3, men's soccer-5) None listed for Virginia Tech INDEPENDENTS (ND – See Big East) ARMY – 2 (men's fencing-1, coed rifle-1) NAVY – 5 (men's fencing-3, men's soccer-1, men's outdoor track & field-1) BIG-10 (Total-212) ILL – 17 (men's fencing-2, men's gymnastics-9, men's tennis-1, men's outdoor track & field-5) IND – 23 (men's basketball-5, men's cross country-3, men's soccer-7, men's swimming & diving-6, men's outdoor track & field-1, men's wrestling-1) IOWA – 22 (women's field hockey-1, men's gymnastics-1, men's wrestling-20) MINN – 15 (men's baseball-3, men's golf-1, men's ice hockey-5, women's ice hockey-2, men's outdoor track & field-1, men's wrestling-3) MICH – 32 (men's baseball-2, men's basketball-1, women's field hockey-1, men's golf-2, men's gymnastics-3, men's ice hockey-9, women's softball-1, men's swimming & diving-11, men's tennis-1, men's outdoor track & field-1) MSU – 19 (men's basketball-2, men's boxing-2, men's cross country-8, men's gymnastics-1, men's ice hockey-3, men's soccer-2, men's wrestling-1) NW – 4 (men's fencing-1, women's lacrosse-3) OSU–21 (men's baseball-1, men's basketball-1, men's fencing-1, coed fencing-1, men's golf-2, men's gymnastics-3, men's swimming & diving-11, men's outdoor track & field-1) PSU – 32 (men's boxing-1, men's cross country-3, womens fencing-1, coed fencing-10, men's gymnastics-12, women's lacrosse-2, men's volleyball-1, women's volleyball-1, men's wrestling-1) PUR – 2 (women's basketball-1, men's golf-1) WISC – 25 (men's basketball-1, men's boxing-8, men's cross country-4, women's cross country-2, men's ice hockey-6, women's ice hockey-2, men's soccer-1, men's indoor track & field-1) SEC (Total-163) ALA – 4 (women's gymnastics-4) ARK – 41 (men's basketball-1, men's cross country-11, men's indoor track & field-19, men's outdoor track & field-10) AUB – 13 (men's swimming & diving-7, women's swimming & diving-5, women's outdoor track & field-1) UF – 17 (men's basketball-2, men's golf-4, women's golf-2, women's soccer-1, men's swimming & diving-2, women's swimming & diving-1, women's tennis-4, women's indoor track & field-1) UG – 24 (men's baseball-1, men's golf-2, women's golf-2, women's gymnastics-8, women's swimming & diving-4, men's tennis-5, women's tennis-2) UK – 8 (men's basketball-7, women's cross country-1) LSU – 40 (men's baseball-5, men's boxing-1, men's golf-4, men's indoor track & field-2, women's indoor track & field-11, men's outdoor track & field-4, women's outdoor track & field-13) USC – 1 (women's outdoor track & field-1) TENN–14 (women's basketball-7, men's cross country-1, men's swimming & diving-1, men's indoor track & field-1, women's indoor track & field-1, men's outdoor track & field-3) VAN – 1 (women's bowling-1) None listed for Mississippi and Mississippi State BIG EAST (Total-75) CINN – 2 (men's basketball-2) UCONN – 11 (men's basketball-2, women's basketball-5, women's field hockey-2, men's soccer-2) GU - 1 (men's basketball-1) UL – 2 (men's basketball-2) MARQ – 1 (men's basketball-1) ND – 13 (women's basketball-1, men's cross country-1, men's fencing-3, womens fencing-1, coed fencing-3, men's golf-1, women's soccer-2, men's tennis-1) PROV – 1 (women's cross country-1) RUT – 1 (men's fencing-1) SJU – 2 (coed fencing-1, men's soccer-1) SYRA – 11 (men's basketball-1, men's boxing-1, men's cross country-1, men's lacrosse-8) NOVA – 16 (men's basketball-1, men's cross country-4, women's cross country-7, men's indoor track & field-3, men's outdoor track & field-1) WVU – 14 (men's boxing-1, coed rifle-13) None listed for Pitt, Seaton Hall, and South Florida CUSA (Total-47) UTEP – 21 (men's basketball-1, men's cross country-7, men's indoor track & field-7, men's outdoor track & field-6) TULSA – 2 (women's golf-2) SMU – 4 (men's golf-1, men's indoor track & field-1, men's outdoor track & field-2) UH – 17 (men's cross country-1, men's golf-16) RICE – 1 (men's baseball-1) TUL – 1 (men's tennis-1) MAR – 1 (men's basketball-1) None listed for Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham, East Carolina, and Central Florida. SUNBELT (Total-30) WKEN – 1 (men's I-AA football-1) NTEX – 4 (men's golf-4) DEN – 25 (men's ice hockey-7, coed skiing-18) None listed for Arkansas State, South Alabama, Troy, Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, New Orleans, Arkansas-Little Rock, Louisiana-Lafeyette, and Louisana-Monroe. MAC (Total-3) BGSU – 1 (men's ice hockey-1) WMICH – 2 (men's cross country-2) None listed for Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami-Ohio, Northern Illinois, Ohio, and Toledo.

With Mendoza's defensive genius 0-12 is definately possible. Until we get a defense, we will have little or limited success.

There are exceptions but normally.......... Mountain West champ plays a PAC 10 team WAC champ plays an ACC team MAC champ plays a Big 10 team CUSA champ plays an SEC team Sun Belt champ plays a CUSA team Is it time for the NO Bowl to get an ACC, SEC or Big XII team to play the Sun Belt champ ? Why should the Sun Belt play a 7-5 or so CUSA team when it may be possible to get a higher profile team with the same record ? Bigger attendance ? Better bowl game ? CUSA champ plays an SEC team and sends a 3,4 or 5 pick to play the Sun Belt champ. Is it time to say, no thanks we want more ?

MTSU football senior captains Tavares Jones, DeMarco McNair, Bradley Robinson and Erik Walden recently sat down with the DNJ's Adam Sparks for a candid conversation about the past, present and future of the Blue Raider program. Among several topics, the four seniors spoke openly of the coaching change midway through their college careers, the peculiar pregame ritual that spawned last season's four-game winning streak and what MTSU needs to become the next mid-major program to enter top-25 talk. Here's their conversation. ARTICLE http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../712260314/1006

Ya sure don't like FAU do ya 80 ?

POST BY A USF FAN FAU has a problem with attendance but as was said earlier having to travel 30 mile plus to play in a HS stadium to see a SunBelt opponent is not very attractive. IF they get their stadium on campus I think they could easliy draw 25,000 a game for similar schedule. The Boca area is very wealthy and if they fall behind the team they would have great financial support. I wouldnt discount FAU in becoming a very good 1A football program yearly. I can tell you that this past year they proved to be a tough team to beat by USF and would had match up pretty well vs any CUSA team. But #1 they need their on campus stadium because it will allow them to create an identity and draw fans from the west palm beach area that will NOT go to games right now.

10-YEAR PLAN FLA. ATLANTIC'S GOAL: JOIN ELITE December 25, 2007 -- BASED on the number of friends, family and co-workers I have spoken to who say they're heading to Florida this time of year, I'm guesstimating that 5-10 percent of all New Yorkers travel to the Sunshine State. Snowbirds now have the option of remaining in the land of palm trees year 'round if they miss their college football. Florida Atlantic University athletic director Craig Angelo, whose Owls defeated Memphis, 44-27, in the New Orleans Bowl on Friday, says that if FAU continues to make progress at the same rate it has, the Owls will be competitive with any team in the nation in 10 years. Don't laugh, because that's exactly the response Greg Schiano got when he arrived at Rutgers and said the Scarlet Knights would compete at the highest level. It's also the same reception Jim Leavitt received at South Florida, which rose to No. 2 in the nation this season. Angelo spent seven years at Miami, which emerged as one of the nation's top programs in the early 1980's under coach Howard Schnellenberger, who now just happens to coach FAU. The Owls took two huge strides this weekend toward the goal of becoming relevant on the national stage. The first was beating Memphis. By winning the New Orleans Bowl, FAU got a huge boost in its efforts to fund and build a $65 million stadium on its campus in Boca Raton, Fla. Mayor Steve Abrams, who initially was cool to the idea of a stadium, accompanied the Owls on their trip to New Orleans and returned a supporter of the program. He has pledged a parade after the New Year to honor the Owls. Most of the money for the stadium will be raised in the form of bonds. But FAU must raise $8 million in private funds. The university had just under $2 million before the bowl game. That's before a parade and before Boca residents realize they can have their very own luxury box in a stadium that also is looking to sell its naming rights. With an on-campus facility and the wealth of talent in South Florida, it's not crazy to think that a decade from now FAU might be a player in college football. ARTICLE http://www.nypost.com/seven/12252007/sport...r_plan_5269.htm

WRONG, you need to check AGAIN in between you blank,blank suxs post. Cincy and TCU both had 6-2 records in conference games. TCU lost to Cincy and ECU. With identical records, they were co-champs and Cincy did defeat TCU 36-29. Liberty gets first pick of CUSA teams, can take who they want and took TCU.

Actually Cincy was the CUSA co-champ in '02 when they lost to the Mean Green

Off the Froggie board Three Tar Heels players robbed, sexually assaulted By JESSICA ROCHA (Raleigh) News & Observer Published on: 12/21/07 Police in Chapel Hill, N.C., have charged two women with sexually assaulting three North Carolina football players, according to police and arrest warrants. A man was also charged with trying to rob the players during the weekend incident. The players didn't suffer physical injuries, but police found two of them in boxer shorts bound with tape and said the men told them they had been fondled against their will early Sunday morning. Monique Jenice Taylor, 28, was charged with resisting a public officer, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, three counts of felony conspiracy and three counts of first-degree sex offense. The charges were the same for Tnika Monta Washington, 29, but included just one count of first-degree sex offense, according to court records. Michael Troy Lewis, 32, was charged with three counts each of kidnapping, conspiracy, and attempted felony larceny, and two counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault on a government official, and one count of resisting an officer. Bail for all three was initially set at $500,000 but Washington and Taylor's bails were both reduced to $50,000 Thursday. Lewis' remained at $500,000. During a bail hearing Thursday afternoon, Assistant District Attorney Morgan Whitney gave some details of the evening but stressed that the information was a preliminary report based on one officer's notes. Whitney said the three players had gone to a couple of downtown Chapel Hill bars to celebrate one of their birthdays. They met Washington, Taylor and Lewis, who gave the players a ride home, according to police and lawyers for the accused. Then the players invited the three up to the apartment. One of the players was very drunk, and was taken to lie down, according to a police report that Whitney cited. The other two apparently had some consensual sexual contact with the women, but became uncomfortable and wanted to stop, Whitney said. At some point the players' hands were tied with tape, Chapel Hill police said in a news release. One of the players called 911, and police arrived to find two of the men were in their boxer shorts. The third player was clothed, Whitney said. One player said when he asked a woman to stop touching him both Taylor and Washington began punching him in the head, Whitney said. In one account given in court Thursday, one player said Lewis stood naked with a butcher knife at his neck, that the player's pants were pulled off and that someone tried to tie his hands with a belt. Defense attorneys Susan Seahorn and Glenn Gerding both said the sexual activity seemed to be consensual. Lewis is accused of taking the contents of two wallets valued at $100, and trying to take $3,000 worth of computer and entertainment equipment. He is also accused of biting a police officer in the groin and pushing him down stairs to elude arrest, according to arrest warrants. In a news release, UNC football coach Butch Davis said: "I am relieved that the players were not injured." The players' status with the team has not changed, a team spokesman said

One tru college coach ? Just on our defensive side. How about Chuck Petersen who coached 17 years at Air Force ? How about David Rausch ? Not a 1A coach, but was at Hardin Simmons as a defensive coach. I'm not a Mendoza fan, but LaCroix wasn't the only defensive coach with college experience.

The facility where they spend the bulk of their time is the athletic center & adjacent practice fields.

ASU signs five midterm transfers By Kevin Turbeville Sun staff writer JONESBORO — Spring football drills will feature at least five new faces at Arkansas State. The Indians announced Wednesday the addition of five junior college transfers as the signing period began for midterm transfers. All five will enroll at ASU next semester and be available for spring practice. ASU’s signees include two defensive backs, two wide receivers and one offensive lineman. “We’re real pleased. Obviously we had some immediate needs we had to fill with the departure of graduates in the secondary, at wide receiver and the offensive line,” ASU head coach Steve Roberts said. “We’ve been able to address what we could. We had six graduates at midterm that allowed us to sign six guys, and we were able to fill five of those with quality guys.” ASU’s junior college signees include defensive backs Walter Moody of Northwest Mississippi and Leroy Trahan of San Bernardino Valley (Calif.), receivers Taylor Clements of Butte (Calif.) and Jahbari McLennan of Trinity Valley (Texas), and offensive lineman Bradley Guillory of Kilgore (Texas). Moody and Trahan will have three years of eligibility with ASU while Clements, McLennan and Guillory will have two seasons apiece. Roberts identified cornerback as one of ASU’s immediate needs after the Indians completed a 5-7 season this year. Both Moody and Trahan were cornerbacks at their respective junior colleges, but Roberts said he isn’t sure where they will fit into the secondary. “Since we had four starters that we lost, there are a number of opportunities there,” Roberts said. Moody (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) sat out his first season at Northwest Mississippi because of injuries. He played in all 10 games this year, starting seven, and finished with 38 tackles, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Northwest Mississippi assistant coach David Thornton said Kansas State and Baylor both recruited Moody, with Memphis showing interest late in the process. “He’s a physical player. He’s a 3-for-3 kid (in eligibility), so that makes him even more attractive, as you can imagine,” Thornton said. “He’s a great kid. He graduated from here in three semesters with just over a 3.0 GPA, so he’s a great student, a great kid and a great player. I can’t say enough about him. That’s a good steal for Arkansas State, no doubt.” Trahan (5-10, 175) earned first-team all-conference, All-California Community College and Region 3 All-America honors as a freshman for the San Bernardino Valley Wolverines. He finished with six interceptions, seven pass break-ups and 29 tackles. A story on the SBVC Web site said Trahan was attracted to ASU because he would have the opportunity to play football and baseball. He said ASU uses the same base defense as his junior college, adding that it was a good fit for him. McLennan (5-11, 185) was a first-team all-conference selection at Trinity Valley after making 29 receptions for 550 yards and six touchdowns. He attended ASU’s home game against North Texas and liked what he saw of the Indians’ offensive scheme. The visit also gave McLennan an opportunity to become familiar with the academic opportunities at ASU and with Indian receivers coach Mike McCarty. “It’s a school that I see myself in. It kind of reminded me of Trinity Valley, but a bigger school and a bigger atmosphere,” McLennan said. “I’m excited to be able to play there and I expect to come in and start and help the team get to another bowl and a conference championship. Those are my goals coming in.” Toledo, Kansas State, New Mexico and Texas A&M all showed interest in McLennan, but he stopped taking visits after making a commitment to ASU. Clements (5-10, 187) was a first-team all-conference selection for Butte after catching 44 passes for 831 yards and nine touchdowns. He was also a threat on special teams, returning 23 kicks for 662 yards. Butte finished 7-4, and Clements earned MVP honors in the Roadrunners’ bowl victory. Clements was also a 2-sport athlete at Butte, earning first-team all-conference honors in baseball last spring. ASU lost three seniors from its receiving rotation, including leading receiver Levi Dejohnette. Roberts said the Indians will have to shuffle their depth chart, a process that will now include Clements and McLennan. “Both of them have good speed and both of them have excellent hands,” Roberts said. “They have the ability to make the big play.” Guillory (6-3, 308) helped Kilgore rank sixth nationally in total offense at 417.7 yards per game. The Rangers finished 8-4 and were ranked 15th in the final NJCAA/JC Football.com poll. Roberts said Guillory will play tackle or guard for ASU. “He’s a rangy guy who has excellent feet,” Roberts added. Guillory signed with TCU after a stellar high school career for Carencro, which is located just north of Lafayette, La. He was first-team all-state as a high school junior and earned second-team all-state honors as a senior. ASU could sign one more midterm transfer. Roberts said the Indians would probably take an offensive lineman if the right one is available. The signing period for midyear transfers runs through Jan. 15.

Football Lands Huge Junior College Recruiting Class Courtesy: ULMAthletics.com Release: 12/19/2007 MONROE, La.—ULM football head coach Charlie Weatherbie announced the signing of five junior college players to National Letters of Intent to play for the Warhawks next season. The signings come just weeks after ULM wrapped up its most successful season since moving to Division I-A in 1994. The Warhawks finished the year 6-6 and were bowl eligible after winning five of their final six games of the year, including a 21-14 victory at Alabama. ULM was the only team in the Sun Belt Conference to defeat two teams playing in bowl games (Alabama and Florida Atlantic). “We have a lot of very talented young players in our program, but it is good to fill in some spots with junior college players,” ULM head coach Charlie Weatherbie said. “The positions where we felt we needed some immediate help were addressed by this junior college class.” The class is made up of center Keating Helms, cornerback Otis Stamps and defensive tackles Alex Ford, Thomas Robinson and Aaron Williams. “We are really excited about this group of players and can’t wait to get them on campus,” Weatherbie said. “Our coaches did an outstanding job recruiting and scouting these players, most of which happened during the playing season.” Helms was the centerpiece of the offensive line for the National Junior College Athletic Association National Champion Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Bulldogs. The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Gulf Port, Miss., native, helped pave the way for two players to rush for over 800 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Bulldogs averaged 247.9 yards per game on the ground en route to a perfect 12-0 record. “He is a strong, physical player, who has played in the type of system we use,” Weatherbie said. “He has to replace a four-year starter in Adam Hill, but he is a proven winner coming from a national championship team and we think he has the chance to be a real fine football player.” Ford, Robinson and Williams teamed up on the defensive line at Pearl River Community College. The trio helped Pearl River finish fourth in its region allowing only 113.6 yards per game on the ground and second through the air allowing just 125.4 yards per game. Ford chose the Warhawks over Kansas State and Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Poplar, Miss., native is very athletic and played middle linebacker for his high school team. The pair of Robinson and Williams are very similar physically both checking it a 6-foot-0 with Robinson weighing 280 pounds and Williams weighing 285 pounds. “All three players are very physically similar to outgoing senior David Cooper,” Weatherbie said. “They are very quick and athletic and should come in and make an immediate impact inside.” Stamps is one of the top cornerbacks in the region. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound Vicksburg, Miss., native had six interceptions as a freshman tying him for tops in the region and finished second in the region this year with four picks. Stamps helped Hinds Community College lead the region in pass defense allowing only 121.6 yards per game and finish third in total defense allowing a paltry 238.0 yards per contest. “We recruited Otis out of high school, but he decided to go the junior college route,” Weatherbie said. “We are really excited to have him join our program, he is going to be a fine addition to our group of cornerbacks. He is good enough to play one-on-one man defense and has a great knack for coming down with the ball.”